Monday, March 26, 2012

New Grain-Free Crackers from Sylvie Shirazi

Recently I happily stumbled on Sylvie Shirazi's blog, Gourmande in the Kitchen. She's a food photographer and a masterful creator of beautiful food! I think I have a professional crush going on now! I wish I could take photos like she does!!!

This recipe is really great. It's filled with ingredients that are both Real & Super Foods like flax seeds, hemp seeds, almonds and coconut! This combination is so nutrient dense and contains so many fabulous sources of healthy fats and fiber that you will be happy to add them to your repertoire of Real Food recipes!

I hope you'll enjoy them with your next bowl of soup, beautiful salad, some yummy dips or a plate of goat or sheep's milk cheeses and fresh fruit and veggies! Or if you love French Onion soup, this is a great bread substitute served along side your steaming bowl of soup!

Since I've been eating "grain-free" for the past few months, I'm happy to report that my anti-inflammatory diet has had some remarkable results! However, I have really missed crackers, so these are an amazing treat. I do hope you enjoy them as well!

Why crackers? Well, it all started a few weeks ago when I was craving a snack. You see, I have a habit of grazing, which includes on occasion a forkful of leftovers straight from the fridge, or a quick snack contentedly consumed while standing over the sink. I like to think of them as little happy mouthfuls on the spur of the moment that make life more pleasant.

That day I wanted a something crunchy; a cracker, and when you’re craving a cracker nothing else will do. The crunch and crumble of a good cracker is a joyful thing whether paired with a slice of cheese, dipped in a bowl of warm soup or enjoyed on its own. The thought of them was so thoroughly engrossing it propelled me into a determined quest to create just the right ones to satisfy my craving.

I was aiming for a cracker with a little heft, nice and hearty with a toasty nutty flavor. I wanted a rustic cracker, simple and straightforward, grain-free and gluten-free as well and, of course, it had to be easy to make.

After much testing and tweaking, I came up with these Flax and Hemp Seed Crackers. They are pleasantly nutty, crisp and utterly habit forming. Delivering a robust share of flavor for such a small package, they are just the thing for nibbling on.

The crackers get their satisfying toasty nutty flavor from a combination of ground almonds, flax and hemp seeds. The almonds and flax are finely ground but the shelled hemp seeds are left whole. Rolled out thinly they are slowly baked in a low oven until dried and crisp.

In addition to being easy to make, they are a natural accompaniment to a cheese plate or bowl of dip at a party. Set them out before dinner so your guests can graze. Much more than a mere receptacle for cheese, however, these wholesome bites are easily savored on their own.

This is a recipe you’ll want in your repertoire.

Now go on and make your own, I’ve already eaten all of mine.

RECIPE: Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Flax and Hemp Seed Crackers

INGREDIENTS

½ cup/ 60g almond meal

½ cup/52g ground flax meal

2 Tablespoons/30g shelled hemp seeds

1 Tablespoon/ 8g coconut flour

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to sprinkle on top)

2 Tablespoons/28g unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg white

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 300° degrees F/ 150° C.

Mix almond meal, flax meal, shelled hemp seed, coconut flour and fine sea salt in a large bowl. Pour melted butter and large white egg over the dry ingredients and mix well to combine with a fork until dough comes together in a ball (you may need to use your hands).

Roll the crackers out very thinly between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into small squares and sprinkle with a pinch of additional sea salt.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until completely dry and crisp.

Cool on cooling rack and store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES

Roll them thinly and evenly (about one-eighth inch). The crackers are baked at a low temperature so that the crackers dry out without getting brown too early.